Down The Stretch Podcast

This podcast features the 49th Sovereign Awards and we have interview clips from Jennifer Morrison, Michelle Armata, Robert McKenzie , Mark Casse, Sean Fitzhenry, Kazushi Kimura and Sofia Vives.

We talked with Bruno Schickedanz about a horse he owns that keeps finding the winners circle at Gulfstream.

Roger Attfield joined us to talk about the mind-blowing debut race by Ready for Shirl, who was the talk of the town after a remarkable win at Keeneland

Martin Lachance drove home a winner at Mohawk and we’re playing that race because it was Lachance’s first driving win at the Campbellville track and we also have a horse named Zeb’s Breaking Dawn that won at over 63-1.

And the Meadowlands is bragging about their huge handles recently and the owners of the 13-year-old trotter, JL Cruze are also bragging after he notched his 66th career win at the Big M.

We start with the last Kentucky Derby Prep – the Lexington Stakes, then go to Santa Anita for a win by Kazushi Kimura and an interview with the multi-skilled Ismael Mosqueira. The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame has revealed the finalists for the next wave of induction. Harness horse owner Brad Grant discusses his chances and Carolyn Filice tells Down The Stretch how thrilled her family is that her father, Sam Lima is a finalist.

With the Woodbine Thoroughbred season beginning on April 27, we’ve got Patrick Husbands warming up with a win at Gulfstream. Two stories this week from Ric Chapman in Australia – the 8-figure sale price of the first foal from super horse Winx and an amazing win by a 6-year-old mare in a $5million race at Randwick. And, when an 83-year-old driver wins a race, you can bet it gets featured in this podcast.

With less than a month until the 150th Kentucky Derby, we have 3 prep races – The Wood Memorial from Aqueduct, the Blue Grass at Keeneland and the Santa Anita Derby. Multiple stories from Santa Anita – 53-year-old Frankie Dettori won 6 in a row on Derby day and we chat with Kazushi Kimura who spent his winter winning races in California before coming north for his 3rd Sovereign Award as Outstanding Jockey. And we have a strange race from Santa Anita that was declared no contest with the field going down the backstretch. Trainer Bob Tiller knows which of 3 categories his sprinter, Patches O’Houlihan is a Sovereign cinch. Aussie racing journalist, Rik Chapman reports on the impending sale of the first off-spring of the super horse, Minx, and harness driver Phil Hudon tells us how he’s recovering since a race incident literally knocked him on his ass.

This one has 3 Kentucky Derby Preps that take us from Meydan in the UAR to Gulfstream to Oaklawn Park. Another week and another win for Marty Drexler. Lou Tucci talks about the chances of Babbo for a Sovereign in the 2-Year-Old Male category. Melissa Keith tells us how she got the job at Rideau Carleton as Canada’s first full-time lady race caller. Jody Jamieson explains why he named a trotter Paquet after its owner Brian Paquet died. How does a daily double pay more than $3,700 and join us at the table to feast on bagels, a small cooked fowl and donuts for dessert.

We’ve got a pair of Kentucky Derby preps as we go to the Fair Grounds and Turfway Park. A lot of Marty Drexler content as he keeps winning at Gulfstream and a little Steven Chircop in the mix. They had a draw for the Mohawk Million and we talk with lucky slot owners, Brad Grant and Tara Hills Stud’s Dave Heffering. Trainer Josie Carroll has 3 horses in 2 Sovereign Award categories and we got her to assess their chances. And on March 17, how good was a bet on a horse named Shamrock?

A lot of CanCon here:

+ King’s Plate Champ, Paramount Prince winning at Gulfstream

+ Chiefswood Stables sends out Waskesiu to take the Florida Oaks

+ Ontario-bred Candy Overload was sweet in the Big Daddy Stakes at Turfway

+ Kazushi Kimura rides another winner at Santa Anita

+ Steven Chircop scores at Charles Town

+ A 4-bagger for driver Travis Cullen

+ A great first impression for Carter Gimblett at Flamboro

+ Mark Casse breaks down the 8 Sovereign Award categories in which horse he trained are nominated

+ Nicholas Barnsdale phones in from the Cheltenham Festival

+ And the notorious NHL goalie, Gary Smith has a horse named after him...

This one is loaded with:

+ 5 winners at Gulfstream by Marty Drexler

+ Steven Chircop winning at Penn National

+ 4 Kentucky Derby preps

+ Julie Walker winning the International Women’s Day Trot

+ Jennifer Buck on her Off-Track Worker Sovereign

+ Michelle Armata, Groom of the Year

+ Jessica Hallett winning at the Dan Patch Awards for a photograph published in Down The Stretch

+ We remember colourful race caller Larry Lederman with a compilation of his more entertaining calls

+ Tony Beaton blowing up the tote board

+ Mark MacDonell snapping his 0-19 driving streak

+ Fair Ground race caller John Dooley funneling his bets Guns N Roses

We have the stretch calls of 3 Kentucky Derby preps – The Risen Star from the Fair Grounds, the Hyacinth from Japan and the Sunland Derby. Harness Driver, Tyler Borth is winning in bunches and took time among his wins to speak with us. Marty Drexler is playing the claim game at Gulfstream and he’s playing it very well. He’s on the phone with Down The Stretch. And horse owner, Darryl Ezra helps us push the envelope on good taste with some of the naughtiest names inflicted on thoroughbreds.

We’ve got a handful of Canadian victories at U.S. tracks – Bill Tharrenos sending out a pair of winners on the same day at Gulfstream, Prince of Wales Champion Velocitor scoring and paying at the Fair Grounds, and CamHaven Farms sending out a winner that paid off at 27-1 at the Fair Grounds. We break down the Sovereign Award category for Outstanding Male Sprinter, trying to get Bob Tiller to compare Patches O’Houlihan to Pink Lloyd, but Tiller just won’t go there. COSA President Bill O’Donnell explains the relatively new rule at Mohawk about breaking stride – it’s not required very often, but it happened last Thursday night. Two-time NBA MVP Nicolai Jokic explains his love of harness racing, and when Koufax won a race at the Fair Grounds, we got curious about other horses named after sports stars.

This week we have the Sam F Davis Stakes from Tampa Bay, James MacDonald with another great night at Mohawk and a thoughtful little video posted by Woodbine for Black History Month. Trainer Barbara Anderson-Heads talks about her terrific mare, Infinite Patience and wonders why her 19 for 25 record might not be good enough for a Sovereign Award. Keith McCalmont of NYRA explains why the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga this June. Jockey Katie Davis tells us how thrilled she is to be repping the U.S.A. in the International Jockeys Challenge in Saudi Arabia and we have a race from Yonkers that had two horses with nearly identical names and it reminded us of the funniest all-time race call.